This post was updated Feb. 4 at 11:27 p.m.

Heading into the final rotation, the Bruins needed to close with a season-high score to reach 198 for the first time this season.

“Putting all our energy on our last event made it so much better,” said sophomore Selena Harris.

No. 11 UCLA gymnastics’ energy reached new heights and scored a 49.750, the highest team floor – and rotation – score since Janelle McDonald took over as head coach and the second-best recorded on the event nationally so far in 2024. No. 18 Arizona was no match for the Bruins, as UCLA won Sunday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion 198.075-196.525.

“I think we have a lot of depth, but I think we have a culture where floor is something we expect ourselves to be really great at, not just in the skills, but in the performance,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “It was really cool to see them go out there and just routine after routine, just lock in and hit.” 

Harris and graduate student Nya Reed tied for first on floor, both scoring 9.975 – a career-high for Harris and a season-high for Reed. 

Graduate student Emma Andres made her first competitive appearance on floor since 2021, earning a career-high 9.925, while freshman Katelyn Rosen earned a career-high 9.95 herself.  

“She’s been really ready to compete for a few weeks now and had the exhibition opportunity, but she knew to really break into the lineup, she was going to need to really dial in her landings and just her performance quality,” McDonald said about Andres’ 2024 floor debut. “Today (Sunday), I just think she nailed it absolutely on every single pass, and then her performance was just so fun to watch.” 

Scoring .25 under their season-high team score, the Bruins started with a 49.375 on vault to kick off their annual Pride meet. 

Reed led the pack with a season-high score of 9.950, while a Bruin trio of 9.875s from Rosen, Harris and senior Chae Campbell steadied the rest of the rotation. 

The Florida transfer said it felt amazing to come back after a year off from gymnastics and be able to improve on the person she used to be. 

“Scores really don’t mean anything to me, but family and being together means a lot to me,” Reed said. “And when I stuck my landing, my mindset literally was like, ‘I did it for my team. Thank God I did it for my team.’”

UCLA led Arizona by 0.275 heading into the second rotation.

After being named this week’s Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, Rosen scored a career-high 9.925 on bars, setting the stage for the Bruins’ season-high 49.425 bars score. 

Two season-highs were earned from Harris and senior Frida Esparza, who led UCLA with a team-high 9.95 and scored a 9.825 in her return to the lineup, respectively. 

UCLA’s lead only grew from there.

In the absence of assistant coach and beam coach Autumn Grable – who missed the meet because of an illness, McDonald said – the Bruins still rose for a season-high on the event.

“Our energy, or what we said to do, was for Autumn,” Harris said. “But the biggest thing was just to take a deep breath and do one thing one at a time.”

Coming close to 10s three times – a 9.975 from Harris and a trio of 9.925s from sophomore Ciena Alipio and juniors Emily Lee and Malabuyo – the Bruins notched a 49.525 entering the floor rotation. 

Heading into Friday’s road trip to Corvallis, UCLA set new expectations for itself with the 198.075, Reed said.

“We’re really close,” Reed said. “We literally want the best for each other and we lean on each other like crazy. … A 198 is going to win nationals, so that’s what we need.”